The NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research invites you to a lecture on plane deicing and NSF NCAR’s new snow instrument!

We invite you to join us for an NSF NCAR Explorer Series lecture, “There’s something on the wing … something green” on Wednesday, March 26 from 5:30-7:00 pm (MT). 

This event will be a live hybrid webcast with options to attend in person at the NSF NCAR Mesa Laboratory or virtually. Please register and tell us if you will be attending in person or online. This will allow you to receive email reminders. If you’re attending virtually, an email will have the link to the webcast and details on how to participate. 

Event Summary

While it may sound straight out of an episode of The Twilight Zone, spraying a green- or orange-colored fluid onto the wings and other parts of an aircraft is an ordinary occurrence during winter weather conditions to deice aircraft before takeoff. But what is the purpose of these fluids, how do they work, and how do they contribute to ensuring people remain safe while flying in these conditions? NSF NCAR scientists have been conducting research with support from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for many years to determine these answers, including developing a unique artificial snow generation system (or snow machine) for testing these fluids. 

In his Explorer Series lecture, scientist Scott Landolt will provide insights into the science behind these fluids, an overview of the snow machine, and the ongoing research challenges associated with testing these fluids in various winter conditions.   

Free public event for ages 12+

For more information and to watch archived lectures, visit the NCAR Explorer Series webpage.

We look forward to seeing you there!